Not a Perfect Ending
by EvanSol0919
Summary: The Holy War is over and the Shinigami victorious. But there is always a price to pay. As Kyouraku predicted, Ichigo's great power meant that he would never again be allowed in the Human World. One part of his life is over. Now for a new one to start.
1. Chapter 1

So when a series ends there are two things that can happen that I absolutely hate.

A big time skip

Everyone gets a happy ending

So as you can imagine I am not happy with the ending of Bleach, especially since there were so many unanswered questions. So I decided to write my own.

Now for the shipping – I am and always will be IchiRuki. No I do not hate Orihime and Renji. I actually understand why Kubo didn't put them together – Ichigo and Rukia's bond sort of transcended that of a romantic couple. Still not happy about it so this is IchiRuki.

One more note – back in chapter 546, Kyouraku came to Ichigo's friends and said that there was a possibility that Ichigo's power would be so great that they couldn't allow him to go back to the real world. That's what happened in my story.

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Ichigo watched silently as the last remains of Yhwach disintrigrated into the black substance. Perhaps he was supposed to feel victorious or satisfied that his mother had finally been avenged but it felt surprisingly hollow inside.

The dark element retook the form of the Soul King's Right hand. Ichigo felt a sense of gratitude before it shot through the open portal back to the palace.

"The Right Hand has been freed of Yhwach's influence and is going to reunite with the Soul King," Aizen stated. "How odd it is that I helped the creature I once sought to destroy."

Ichigo turned to gaze at his former enemy. "Does that mean you won't follow it?"

The former captain gave his famous smirk. "You're more powerful now than when we fought. Besides, there's not exactly much to rule over," he said, while looking at the ruin that was once the Seireitei.

"You know that power comes with a price. You will never be allowed to return to the Living World. Neither your body nor any gigai Urahara Kisuke made could contain it. Any non-spiritually aware human would be crushed by your mere presence."

Ichigo didn't respond; he already knew that. Still, he didn't regret his decision. He was able to protect the people he cared about. That was all that mattered.

Looking over, he saw Ishida deep in thought, most likely thinking about his mother or that he was, once again, the last Quincy.

The sound of footsteps caught his ear as he turned and saw his friends, still battered and bruised by the battle, coming through the portal.

"Is… is it over?" asked Inoue.

Ichigo smiled. "No, it's a new beginning."

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That was the best explanation I could come up with as to why all of creation wasn't destroyed after Yhwach's death because it was stated that he was the linchpin holding everything together after the Soul King died.

Please comment!

Love from, EvanSol0919!


	2. Victory

So this is just a short chapter explaining the situation in the Seireitei.

First a special thanks to nigtwig350 (yes I do go back and reedit my stories), mingxingxing and Rukia's Reflection for the reviews.

RukiaGalloega – I remember you. I like responding to your comments. The reason I don't like happy endings is because there's no such thing as a happy ending, especially at the end of a war where thousands have died. I LOVE a Song of Ice and Fire/ Game of Thrones! I'm not sure what happened with Kubo but it's clear he was rushed. As for shipping, what's canon is canon. However, this is fan fiction. As for Bound… I kind of wrote myself into a corner on that one. I'm not entirely sure what I'll do with it.

Now, I'm going to be using some information from the book 13 Blades. It's technically not canon but I found it to be very interesting, especially in regards to the inner workings of the Central 46. It also gives a more detailed explanation as to how Kira survived.

Also in the book MASKED, it was revealed who the vice captains were during Turn Back the Pendulum.

Marenoshin Omaeda – VC under Yoruichi

Chikane Iba – VC under Rose, mother of Tetsuzaemon

Jin'emon Kotsubaki – VC under Love, father of Sentarou

Seinosuke Yamada – VC under Unohana, brother of Hanatarou

Also there's Ginjirou Shirogane who was the 6ths VC before Renji

Anyway, enjoy!

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 _Victory._

Shunsui Kyouraku walked through the portal back to the Seireitei, at least what was left of it. Nearly every building had been destroyed; huge sections of the sekkkiseki walls were missing… and the bodies… all the bodies littering the ground…

 _Victory._

The word rang hollow in his ears. Thousands of Shinigami and civilians were dead, countless more were injured and centuries worth of knowledge and works of art destroyed.

This was victory.

The new Captain-Commander looked back at the returning members of the Gotei 13, observed the blank expressions of the survivors as they viewed what remained of their home.

Now more than ever he wished Yama-ji were here. He would know what to do, what to say. But he wasn't. And neither was Ukitake. Two of the most important people in his life, his father figure and brother in arms, were among the dead. One died in battle and the other gave his life to save them all. Now it was up to him to go on, to rebuild what the Quincies had destroyed and to honor both of their sacrifices so that they wouldn't be in vain.

He let out a sigh before calling the others to him.

It was time to get to work.

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Being the vice-captain of the Fourth Division had never been the easiest. They were paid the least, their division members bullied and harassed on a daily basis by the Eleventh Squad and were generally taken less seriously than the other squads of the militaristic Gotei 13.

Until now.

Kotetsu Isane wiped the sweat from her brow as she moved from one cot to another. As lieutenant, she was the de facto head of the medical division and so everyone was coming to her for answers.

Where should this patient be transferred, where is this relief team, what should we do.

It took everything the normally calm woman had to not start screaming.

Fortunately the soutaichou had seen what was happening and calmly, but forcibly, told her to take a break.

They had made their headquarters in the Central 46 compound. Seeing as it was underground it had mostly remained intact. It turns of one of the sages had taken it upon herself to open the doors to survivors.

The hospital, as well as all their equipment, had been destroyed. Not to mention many of the 4th division members had been killed, with 3rd seat Iemura Yasochika and 8th seat Ogidou Harunobu being among the dead. Others like Hanatarou had been given a leave of absence after discovering loved ones among the deceased, in Hanatarou's case his brother Seinosuke.

Thankfully they did have some extra help. Kirinji Tenjirou of the Royal Guard had survived, though his hot springs were now in ruin, but he was still going around and healing others. Shiba-tai, no, Kurosaki Isshin and a Quincy named Ishida Ryuuken were also giving them a hand. Even the 12th squad captain was being helpful, taking the most seriously injured to the underground labs of the Research and Development Institute.

The human girl, Inoue Orihime, had been too drained after healing her friends to be of assistance but promised to return as soon as she regained her strength.

The captains of the 3rd and 9th divisions were still unconscious but Kurotsuchi-taichou had reversed their zombification (and Isane still couldn't believe she actually used that word). Kira Izuru was… well he was walking and talking so that counted for something. Komomura-taichou was now a large wolf and incapable of speech. Urahara Kisuke and the Shihouin siblings had survived, as well as the Arrancar with them, but were all severely injured.

The tall woman passed by another room – one that was being used to house the dead.

The names of the deceased echoed through her head – Aramaki Makizou, Enjouji Tatsufusa, Kurumadani Zennosuke, Ounabara Gengorou, Umesada Toshimori, Takezoe Koukichirou, Nagamoso Shutetsu, Yuki Rikichi and his brother Yuki Ryunsuke, Shirogane Ginjirou and his daughter Mihane …

Her grey eyes fell on some of the survivors. There was Iba Tetsuzaemon, standing over the body of his mother, Omaeda Marechiyo - looking more serious than she'd ever seen him - holding his little sister Mareyo while gazing at the corpses of their parents and two other siblings, the 13th fellow 3rd seat Kotsubaki Sentarou crying against his dead father's chest.

And that wasn't the end.

The vice-captains of both the 11th and 12th divisions were confirmed as dead despite the absence of their bodies as well as Ukitake-taichou.

And Unohana-taichou...

Isane knew that dying by the hands of Zaraki-taichou is how the first Kenpachi would have wanted her life to end, but that didn't erase the pain.

The silver haired woman leaned against the large fountain in front of the Central 46's compound, allowing the tears to fall – tears for the dead, for the living, for the only mother she had ever known.

A gloved hand found hers as Isane looked into the identical watery grey eyes of Kiyone.

The sisters simply held each other, mourning their losses but grateful that the other was still alive.

That would have to be enough for now.

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So yeah, basically every secondary character is dead. I just wanted to get this out so that it could set up what the rest of the story is going to be about, and how the survivors will respond.

Please review!

Love from, EvanSol0919!


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